Ibanez SRX595 5-String Electric Bass

No longer available at zZounds
zZounds Gear Experts Say...
3-piece SRX5 neck. PFR-5N and PFR-5B pickups.

Ibanez could say that the Soundgear SRX is the Soundgear SR's simpler and even more muscular younger sibling. But a better explanation of what SRX can do is this: Soundgear Xtreme is the only bass in the world that can count both metal minions and bass icon/hitmaker Carol Kaye in its court. If a bass is so exceptional it can satisfy players that different, what could the SRX do for you?

Features:
The original Soundgear fast neck and comfortable body shape

Extra poweRful Passive Full Range pickups with exposed pole pieces offer extreme high output

2-band EQ or PHAT active bass boosts let you play more bass (and less controls)

5-string models offer wide string pitch for players who find the string spacing on most 5-string basses too narrow

Neck: 3-piece SRX5 neck

Neck Type: SRX5

Body: Basswood body/Flamed Maple top

Frets: Medium frets

Fingerboard: Bound Rosewood

Inlay: Off-Set Pearl Dot

Bridge: Accu-cast B205 bridge

Neck Pickup: PFR-5N

Bridge Pickup: PFR-5B

EQ: EQB-IIDX 2-band EQ

Hardware Color: CK

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-669-8262
Web: https://www.ibanez.com/usa/support/

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. (10 ratings)
Submitted February 2, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"A dependable 5-String bass, but overall average when it comes to tone, features, and looks."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have owned this bass for about 3 years and sad-to-say, it is the only bass in my collection I've considered selling. But I wouldn't sell it just to sell it, only to upgrade to a better 5-string that more fits my style and preferred tone. I like it's versatility of being a 5-string and it's dependability as an Ibanez, but I wish its tones were warmer, perhaps if it had better pickups (Bartolinis?). If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely NOT buy it again, but I would buy a 5-String, probably a 5-string Ibanez SR 755 which I've played and sounds amazing compared to the SRX595

Sound
I really loved this bass tone in the store and tried it on a couple amps to check its consistency. I was really happy with it and purchased it soon after. As I've owned it, I come to feel that is a very average sounding bass. The humbuckers are decent and you can get a variety of tones from it, but I just wasn't blown away. Compared to some of the other basses I own, this one felt like it was lacking some personality and a certain bass tone I can't put my finger on. Still, I'm in a band that uses different tunings and the B string is great for that, as I never need to tune down. Also, the strings I've tried on it all make it sound very, very different. I know that happens with most stringed instruments, but it seems even more noticeable on this bass. I don't want to knock this bass because it is my primary gigging bass right now and have received no complaints, read more but I don't think this is the tone I am after.

Features
There are active pickups which sound good when the battery is charged. And I played it quite alot with a dead battery inside, and it still sounded very decent. It has a treble, bass, volume, and balance knob for the two humbucker pickups. The balance knob has really come in handy. As I stated earlier, I have a hard time getting the tone I want, but the balance knob keeps this bass as my primary bass. I can quickly adjust from one tone to another as songs necesitate.

Ease of Use
This was the first 5-string I ever played and it didn't take long to adjust from 4 to 5 with this one. The neck is wider than a 4-string but was surprisingly comfortable and fast. The knobs make it easy to adjust the tones as I stated in the features section (but they also allow for a lot of horrible tones too)

Quality
Knobs fall off...but I've had this problem with most of my basses, especially Ibanezs. Other than that, the bass is solid. A bit hefty, but feels well-made.

Value
This would be a great value for a bassist in a heavier rock band, maybe metal where the tone was going to be adjusted by pedals, and where de-tunings or multiple tunings were needed. Unfortunately, I can't say it would be a tremendous value for a jazz, blues, rock bassist when there are much better basses suited for that tone for the same or a slightly higher price. Still I do not regret buying it and have enjoyed owning it.

Manufacturer Support
Never had to get support on this bass. But from what I can tell Ibanez has a good service department, however, it also appears this bass is relatively rare so I don't know if that would be a problem in getting identical parts or comparable parts. Can't really say.

The Wow Factor
The gray, almost-attractive-kind-of-ugly finish would be suited for a metal band. A bit drab for my taste but I was shopping for a 5-string, comfort, and tone. (I'm a bubinga/wood/cherry guy myself) The overall look is good, but the color is less than desirable at times.

Musical Background:
Gigging Locally

Musical Style:
Classic and Modern Rock
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